Mop frame assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a mop frame (5) for cleaning equipment, comprising an elongated plate (10) provided on the upper side with a handle fastener (20). The invention is characterized in that at least the underside of the frame is provided with attachment means (50-64) for the detachable fitting of holder bars (70) to the underside of which Velcro® strips (84) are affixed.

SCOPE OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for the cleaning of level surfaces.

PRIOR ART

For cleaning premises and the like, so-called cleaning mops are used forprofessional purposes. These consist of a mop frame which often has theappearance of a flat, profiled, elongated plate, a flexibly attachedhandle on the upper side of the frame and a mop in the form of varioustypes of textile cloth, varying according to the area of application,detachably fitted to the underside of the frame. The handles are oftenarticulated so that they can be rotated in directions forming ahemisphere. The underside of the mop frame is often provided withgrooves, into which plastic bars, to which Velcro strips are affixed,are inserted. The Velcro strip has the function of keeping the mopsfixed in position during use so effectively that they remain attached tothe mop frame even when this is lifted and shaken, but can be removedrelatively easily when the mop needs to be changed.

The mop frames which are available on the market function satisfactorilyfor a great many cleaning operations, but have a number ofdisadvantages. In order to make the Velcro strips replaceable, they areaffixed to a bar which is pushed into grooves on the underside of theframe. This means that the Velcro barbs lie essentially in the sameplane as the underside of the frame and thus provide a very poor grip,which in turn means that the Velcro strip has to be relatively wide inorder to function adequately. Another disadvantage of this design isthat the wide Velcro strips and the affixing of these to the bars arerelatively expensive, and also that the groove on the underside forholding the bars is a place for the accumulation of dirt and the like.

The flexibility of the link between the frame and the handle is anadvantage in most cleaning operations as it permits good movability ofthe mop when cleaning floors. For the cleaning of walls and ceilings,however, this flexibility is a disadvantage as the frame cannot then beproperly controlled.

For the cleaning of large surfaces use is made either of a mop frame ofnormal width, generally 55 cm, which makes the work time-consuming, orof an extra-wide mop frame. These wide mop frames are however too clumsyto be used for normal surfaces, which means that the cleaner has to haveseveral different mop frames available for different areas.

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above problems.According to one aspect of the invention, this is achieved with a mopframe for cleaning equipment comprising an elongated plate, providedwith a flexible handle fastener on the upper side, and characterized inthat at least the underside of the frame is provided with attachmentmeans for the attachment of holder bars, to the underside of whichVelcro strip is affixed. This design results in the presence ofreplaceable Velcro strips on the frame, affixed to surfaces which areessentially in the same plane as the underside of the frame. Inaddition, the holder bars form part of the width of the frame.

According to another aspect of this invention, it offers a mop frame forcleaning equipment comprising a plate provided on the upper side with ahandle fastener which is situated in the middle of the mop frame andwhich comprises a first component joined to the plate via a first hinge,the axis of rotation of which is parallel with the longitudinaldirection of the plate, and a second component which is joined to thefirst component via a second hinge, the axis of rotation of which isperpendicular to the first axis of rotation, which is characterized inthat the handle fastener is provided with a locking device capable oflocking the second hinge so that the handle can only move by means ofthe first hinge.

According to another aspect of this invention, it offers a surfacecleaning device comprising two mop frames, each provided with a handlefastener, which device is characterized in that the connecting elementis detachably connectable to the handle fasteners on the two mop framesin such a way that these are arranged alongside each other with theirlong sides along a common line, and that a handle fastener is flexiblyarranged on the connecting element between the two mop frames.

These and other features of the invention are realizable by virtue ofthe characteristics indicated in the Patent Claims below. Furthercharacteristics and aspects of the invention are apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description of a preferred embodiment, reference willbe made to the attached drawings, of which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of the mop frame according tothe preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the mop frame according toFIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of the plate forming part of themop frame in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from below of the frame according to FIG.2,

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the mop frame taken along the line V--V inFIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the plate taken along the line VI--VI inFIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from above of a holder bar forming part ofthe mop frame according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of a holder bar taken along the lineVIII--VIII in FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is a lateral view of a hinge device forming part of the mop frameaccording to FIG. 1,

FIG. 10 is a lateral view of the hinge device according to FIG. 9rotated through 90°, and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the interconnection of two mop frames.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings, a mop frame is generally designated by the FIG. 5. Theframe 5 comprises an elongated profiled plate 10, made preferably fromaluminium or plastic. The upper side of the plate 10 is provided with anelongated groove 12, FIG. 6, which is open at the top and which has twoopposing tongues 14, one on each side of the groove. In the groove 12are fasteners 16 for connection of a handle which is inserted into thegroove. The fasteners 16 are held in place at the top by the tongues. Inorder to restrain the fasteners 16 laterally, the tongues 14 have beenpressed down slightly on each side of the fasteners 16, but other meansof fixing the fasteners are also possible. Between the fasteners a hingedevice 20 is provided, FIGS. 1, 9 and 10. The hinge device comprises abase component 22 which is provided with two pegs 23 which fit intoholes in the fasteners 16, in such a way that the base component 22 isrotatable through approximately 180° in relation to the mop frame 5 in aplane at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the frame.

To the base component 22 is attached, with the aid of a rivet 26 orsimilar element, one end of an essentially cylindrical intermediatecomponent 24, so that the intermediate component 24 is rotatable throughapproximately 180° in relation to the base component 22 in a planeparallel with the longitudinal direction of the frame. The opposite endof the intermediate component 24 is provided with connection means 28for detachable connection of, for example, a handle. The connectionmeans 28 comprises a spring in the form of a U-shaped moulded plasticcomponent, the ends of which are provided with outward-facing lock knobs30; these lock knobs fit into, and by virtue of elasticity protrudethrough, two apertures in the intermediate component 24.

The width of the base component 22 increases slightly from the point ofattachment to the intermediate component 24 down to the pegs, so thatthe base component 22 attains a tapered appearance. On the cylindricalpart of the intermediate component 24 an essentially cylindrical sleeve32 is provided, having the facility for sliding along the intermediatecomponent.

With the aid of the hinges a handle can be moved in relation to the mopframe in all directions within a hemisphere.

The plate 10 is so designed on the upper side that it has similarprofiling 48 along both long sides. The profiling 48, as viewed from thecentral groove 12 comprises firstly an essentially rectangular groove50, FIGS. 3 and 6, which runs parallel with the long side of the plateat a distance x from the edge thereof. After the groove there follows aflat surface 52, extending to the edge 54, which is lower in height thanthe surface between the central groove 12 and the rectangular groove 50,the height difference being b. The side edges 54 are somewhat rounded.

The underside of the plate 10, FIGS. 4 and 6, is also designed withprofiling 56, likewise along both long sides. Viewed from the side edges54 inwards, the profiling of the underside consists of a flat section58, which after a distance y, which is longer than the distance x on theupper side of the plate, changes over to an essentially rectangularelongated groove 60. The inner edge of this groove 60 is provided with atongue or edge 62 directed outwards towards the side edge 54. The groove60 is furthermore provided with a support strip 64 which from about themiddle of the groove 60 extends downwards such a distance that its lowersurface lies on a level with the flat section 58. From the grove 60, theremaining central section 66 of the underside of the frame is flat andexhibits a height difference c in relation to the flat section 58.

On the plate 10, FIGS. 4 and 6, holder bars 70 are detachably arrangedon both long sides of the plate, FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 8. These are designedto fit into the profiling 48, 56 on the plate and have a length which isequal to the length of the plate. The holder bar 70 has an upper part 72the thickness of which corresponds to the distance b on the plateprofiling 48. The end face of the bar 70 is provided with a protrusion74 which extends along the whole length. When the holder bar 70 isfitted to the plate 10, the protrusion 74 fits into the groove 50 on theupper side and prevents the bar from moving. The front edge of theholder bar's upper part then abuts against the inner edge of the groove50, while the upper surface of the holder bar is essentially on the samelevel as the upper side of the frame. The upper part 72 of the holderbar then extends some way beyond the edge of the plate where there is atransition essentially to a vertical edge part 76 which at the bottomchanges into a support protrusion 78. The holder bar 70 then changesover to a lower part 80 which is essentially parallel with its upperpart 70. The lower part terminates in an attachment strip 82 which isdesigned to fit the indentation in the frame and which, when the holderbar is fitted to the frame, holds the bar in place vertically. With theattachment strip the lower part of the holder bar 70 fits tightlyagainst the frame at the protrusion 62 on the under groove 60.

On the downward-facing surface before the support protrusion 78 a Velcrostrip/fastener 84 is affixed with a suitable adhesive, in the preferredembodiment along the whole length of the bar. The Velcro strip 84 mayalso be designed to finish just before the end of the bar, in order thatcertain mop cloths can be slipped onto the end of the mop frame, as thiscannot be done if the Velcro strip 84 comes right to the edge. Theheight of the protrusion 78 is lower than the height of the Velcro strip84, so that the Velcro barbs extend some distance below the protrusions.

At the short ends of the plate 10 are fitted the end pieces 86,preferably made from a relatively soft material so as not to damageobjects during cleaning. The end pieces 86 are designed so that lockprotrusions (not shown) fit in to the plate profiling and thus hold theend pieces in place.

The holder bars 70 have the following function and advantages. Thevarious mop cloths which are normally used in cleaning have an upperside to which the Velcro strip is attached. The mop cloth is pressedtight against the underside of the frame and stays in place duringcleaning. Owing to the fact that the Velcro strips according to theinvention are directly affixed to the holder bars 70, they extenddownwards below the underside of the frame and a better grip on the mopis obtained than with previous devices. In this way a considerablynarrower Velcro strip may be used, and on the tested frames this striphad a width of 8 mm instead of the 20 mm which is normally used. The mopcloths then remain in place during cleaning but are not attached sotightly that they are difficult to remove, which would be the case witha wider Velcro strip. As a narrower strip can be used, the manufacturingcost can also be reduced since the strips and their attachment to theholder bars in the conventional method are relatively expensive. Due tothe holder bar, however, the Velcro strip is still replaceable in thatthe complete holder bar is detachable and exchangeable.

Furthermore, because the holder bar fits tightly against the frame bothon the upper side and on the underside, the upper and lower sides of theframe are completely smooth, which means that dirt is prevented fromaccumulating in pockets and the like on the frame, as was commonpreviously. The holder bars further from part of the width of the frame,which enables the plate to be made narrower for the same total width,which means that less material needs to be used in the plate. Thisreduces the material costs which may be relatively high when aluminiumis used for the plate. Owing to the fact that the holder bars extendaround the side edges of the frame, they also act as protective stripsand prevent marks and wear and tear on objects, skirting boards and thelike which are often bumped with the mop frame during cleaning.

For the cleaning of floors and similar it is an advantage if the handleis articulated in all directions in relation to the frame, in order inthis way to achieve greater freedom of movement with the device.However, this movability may in some cases prove a disadvantage, forexample when cleaning walls and ceilings. This movability then givesrise instead to a lack of control and to difficulty in getting the frameand the cloth to stay against the wall or ceiling.

In order to prevent movability in one direction with the deviceaccording to the invention, a sleeve 32, which is axially movable onintermediate component 24, is pushed upwards over the base component 22;and since the latter is slightly tapered and the sleeve 32 has a certainelasticity, the sleeve 32 is held in place there and thus locks therelative position of the base component and the intermediate component.The handle is then movable only in directions at right angles to thelongitudinal direction of the frame and thus it becomes simpler tohandle for the surfaces described above. When the sleeve 32 is not inuse, it is in contact with the base component 22, but owing to thetapering of the latter it cannot slide down and unintentionally lock theintermediate component against the base component.

The mop frame according to the invention may be used in conjunction withmany different handles, handles of a fixed length or telescopic handles.In order to permit the exchange of handles or frames, the handle isprovided with diametrically opposite apertures. The handle is attachedto the outer end of the intermediate component, the lock knobs 30 on thelock spring or connection means 28 are pressed in so that the handle canbe pushed in against the stop and turned until the lock knobs arepositioned in front of the apertures in the handle, so that these thenspring out and lock the handle in position. For the cleaning of largesurfaces without obstacles, a system has been developed where two frames10 may be linked together alongside each other so that the width isdoubled. This is achieved with the aid of a connecting element 90, FIG.11, which comprises a tube with a length approximately corresponding tothe length of the frames which are to be used. At the ends of the tubeare diametrically opposite apertures which have been drilled so that theintermediate components 24 of the hinge devices 20 on the two mop framesmay be attached there. When two mop frames are attached to theconnecting element, the link between the base component and theintermediate component is turned through 90° and the frames are fixed ina position in which their front edges are in line with each other.

In the middle of the tube 90 is an intermediate component 24 which isrotatably attached, to which a handle may be fastened. Thus one now hastwo frames alongside each other, that is to say a mop device of doublethe width is obtained. With this assembly the mop device may be adjustedto differing requirements simply by removing or attaching the componentsas necessary. Consequently, there is no longer any need to carry severaldifferent mop devices with one, the same handle and frame being usablewith just a few accessories.

It will be seen that the invention is not restricted to the embodimentdescribed above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be modifiedwithin the framework of the following Patent Claims.

I claim:
 1. A mop frame for cleaning equipment, comprising an elongatedplate provided on an upper side with a handle fastener, characterized inthat at least on underside of the plate is provided with attachmentmeans for attachment of holder bars, the holder bars having an undersideto which hook-and-loop strips are affixed;wherein the holder bars aredesigned and affixed to the plate in such a way that they extend beyondthe side edges of the plate, thus forming part of the width of the mopframe; and wherein the upper side of the plate is provided withattachment means for attachment of the holder bars.
 2. A mop frameaccording to claim 1, characterized in that said attachment means on theupper and lower sides are designed as elongated grooves and that theholder bar is designed to extend around an edge of the plate and withits side edges engaged with said grooves.
 3. A mop frame according toclaim 2, characterized in that the upper parts of the holder bars lieessentially in the same plane as the upper side of the plate.
 4. A mopframe according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder bars extendalong the entire long sides of the plate.
 5. A mop frame according toclaim 1, characterized in that the underside of the mop frame which doesnot carry the hook-and-loop strip is essentially level.
 6. A mop frameaccording to claim 5, characterized in that the surfaces on which thehook-and-loop strip is attached lie essentially in the same plane as theunderside of the plate.
 7. A mop frame for cleaning equipment,comprising a plate provided on the upper side with a handle fastener,arranged in the middle of the mop frame, which handle fastener comprisesa first component joined to the plate via a first hinge, the axis ofrotation of which is parallel with the longitudinal direction of theplate, and a second component, which is joined to the first componentvia a second hinge, the axis of rotation of which is perpendicular tothe first axis of rotation, characterized in that the handle fastener isprovided with a locking device capable of locking the second hinge sothat the handle is only able to move around the first hinge;wherein thesecond hinge is locked with the aid of a sleeve which is pushed over thehinge, locking the relative position of the first component and thesecond component; and wherein the width of the first component tapersoutwards from the point of attachment to the second component and thatthe sleeve is essentially cylindrical and made form an elastic material,so that the sleeve is held in place when it is pushed over the secondhinge.
 8. A device for the cleaning of level surfaces, comprising twomop frames, each with a handle fastener arranged essentially in themiddle of the mop frame, characterized by a connection means which isdetachably connected to the handle fasteners on the two mop frames insuch a way that these are arranged alongside each other with their longsides along a common line, and in that a single handle fastener isflexibly arranged on the connecting element between the two mopframes;wherein at least one mop frame comprises an elongated plateprovided on an upper side with the handle fastener, characterized inthat at least an underside of the plate is provided with attachmentmeans for attachment of holder bars, the holder bars having an undersideto which hook-and-loop strips are affixed; wherein the holder bars aredesigned and affixed to the plate in such a way that they extend beyondthe side edges of the plate, thus forming part of the width of the mopframe; and wherein the upper side of the plate is provided withattachment means for attachment of the older bars.
 9. A device accordingto claim 8, characterized in that the connecting means comprises a tube,the ends of which are designed to fit the handle fasteners of the mopframes, and that the length of the tube is so adjusted that when thedevice is fitted with two mop frames, only a small distance existsbetween the opposing ends of the mop frames.